Dress Like a Peasant – Parte Ye Sext

With Birka looming on the event horizon (har), I’m really in high gear!

In a matter of hours yesterday, I cut and virtually completed the Leggings/Hose from RH004. With only a couple of seams and hems left to finish, it’s all over bar the shouting.

At left are the Leggings cut out and ready to begin. The fabric is a chocolate-brown wool flannel. You can guess which are the main pieces; the small, bullet-shaped bits next the scissors are the Spats to go over the top of the foot, and the scraps at lower left will make the Soles.

This part is really as straightforward as you want it to be. You can choose to fit the Leggings as tightly to the leg as you wish; I chose to allow them to remain loose to the leg.

First step is to sew the back seam of the main Leggings piece, leaving the point at the top (that’s where the Legging will attach to what amounts to a Manly Garter Belt; stop giggling, Ady). After that, it’s test the fit and cut out a semicircle for to attach the Spat.

I learnt about ‘easing’ on this part of the Pleasant Peasant Project. In order to make the foot come together, you have to ‘ease’ extra fabric around the Spat and Sole. As is the case in most projects, the second attempt (shown at right) is far superior to the first.

They actually fit my feet quite well, though none of the rest of the Legging – from the ankle to the top – is fitted at all.You can see how the leg fits (or not) in the photo at left. Note I’m wearing the Legging outside my jeans!

Luckily, the ugly attempts at easing will be firmly ensconced in my turnshoes, unseen by pets and small children.

There’s not too much further to go! Later today, I’m going to post a photo of the completed outfi, along with a smattering of contemporaneous artwork from which much of RH004 is developed. I’ll discuss what we see and how it applies to the stuff I’ve made.